These hoop dreamers hit books before hitting boards

“I have $100, and I need to buy eight basketballs . . .’’ begins the instructor in sweat pants.

Upstairs, another group of children runs sprints in the gymnasium, loosening up before their own study session.

Basketball season is underway at Merritting Attention in Boston, a local basketball program steered by its motto: “We study before we play.’’

“We’re not training our kids to be professional athletes; there’s another element to this,’’ said Jan Witkowski of Melrose, a father of two boys in the program. “You use sports to develop your character, but there’s more to life than basketball.’’

Larry Merritt, a former high school basketball standout in Boston, founded the program in 1998 to give city kids an open lane to success.

“I wanted to come back to my community and give other young people the opportunity I had, some direction and some hope for a successful life,’’ said Merritt, 36, a full-time teacher and coach who runs the program as a volunteer side job. “So many of our young kids were living in a world of darkness, and I wanted to switch the light on for them.’’

Merritt began with five children, training and tutoring them on Saturday mornings. Twelve years later, the program serves nearly 200, mostly 4-to-15-year-old boys, offering a year-round schedule of basketball and academics.

In the fall and winter, there is a 12-team community basketball league, a basketball boot camp, and a continuation of the Saturday morning program of books and basketball.

But the spring brings the program’s big draw: travel team basketball. In 2005, Merritting Attention entered two teams into the Amateur Athletic Union league, the country’s top showcase for talented young players. In 2010, 15 teams at different levels will wear the Bengals’ orange and black.

To play, third- to tenth-graders must make the team, pay a $350 fee, and maintain at least a 2.7 grade point average. And even in strong competition, coaches stick to books first: An hourlong study hall precedes every practice.

Even with education the priority, Merritting Attention has emerged as the premier basketball program in the area.

Since 2005, the Merritting Attention Bengals have racked up 15 state and regional championships and three AAU national crowns, including two last year.

“It’s quite an accomplishment for them to go to Nationals and compete,’’ said John Kottori, the former state director for AAU basketball who now runs his own program.

“If you go from Massachusetts and place [in the top 16], you’ve had one hell of a run,’’ Kottori said. “That’s not something that happens every year.’’

The Bengals have placed in the top five in the country for five straight years.

That success is rooted in Merritt and his coaching staff’s no-nonsense philosophy, coaches and parents said. The program calls for grueling workouts and suspends players for misbehavior or bad grades.

But the discipline is complemented by a strong support system.

Earl Stephen, who coached one of the program’s AAU national championship teams, volunteers more than 20 hours a week, on and off the court.

“At the end of the day, it’s rewarding because you can save a couple,’’ said Stephen, 34, who also has a son in the program.

At the Vine Street Community Center in Roxbury Saturday, a horde of boys and three girls lined the gymnasium wall. Merritt, robust commander, delivered orders from center court.

“Open your legs, bend your knees, put your arms out,’’ he said.

The line of players waddled across the gym floor and back, grimacing and grunting.

“That’s one,’’ Merritt shouted as they released the position in exhaustion. “We got nine more!’’

But the children understand that hard work breeds success. Many named “Coach Larry’’ as their role model.

“It makes us faster, more energized,’’ said Sean Fontes, 11, of Boston. “We’re more in shape, so we’re not slacking on the court.’’

Merritting’s staff makes sure that attitude translates to the classroom, requiring biweekly progress reports from every player.

“That keeps us more focused in class,’’ said David Barner, 11, of Boston. “We don’t want a bad report, so we don’t miss a game.’’

Stephanie Merritt, a volunteer and mother of two in the program, said academics are essential to Merritting Attention.

“I just think that inner-city children, at times, are put into this bucket,’’ said Stephanie, who is Larry’s cousin. “And all the extra help they can get, all the extra support, is important.

“Then you have a lot of kids, like my son, who want to be in the NBA,’’ she said. “It’s all well and fine that you want to play basketball; that’s great. But you have to have the academics first.’’

Many players acknowledged having dreams of playing professionally, but backup plans included doctor, lawyer, and coach. All are looking toward college.

Stephen said that although the sport can be a ticket to success, it must be paired with a strong mind.

“Basketball can work wonders for them,’’ he said of his charges’ receiving athletic scholarships. “But education is the key. Without the education, you can’t do much with the basketball.’’